A promising female jockey has died and her trainer is seriously injured after a horror crash caused their car to burst into flames.
Samara Johnson, 25, and her 53-year-old trainer Garry Kirkup were travelling towards Canberra, when the vehicle veered off the road and hit a tree in the Riverina region of NSW on Sunday.
It is understood the pair were returning to the nation’s capital when the car crashed into a tree and caught fire at 2.30pm on Gundagai Rd, Eurongilly, The Canberra Times reports.
Samara Johnson, 25, (pictured) and her 53-year-old trainer Garry Kirkup were travelling towards Canberra, when the vehicle veered off the road and hit a tree in the Riverina region of NSW on Sunday
It is understood the pair were returning to the nation’s capital when the car crashed into a tree and caught fire at 2.30pm on Gundagai Rd, Eurongilly, The Canberra Times reports (Samara pictured)
The young woman died at the scene and Mr Kirkup was rushed to Canberra Hospital for emergency surgery where he remains in a stable condition.
It is believed Mr Kirkup suffered severe abdominal injuries and injuries to his hand and foot.
Ms Johnson’s tragic death comes as a blow to the close-knit Canberra racing community.
A spokesperson for Mr Kirkup’s professional training service Kirkup Racing took to Facebook to give an update on the trainer’s condition.
It is believed Mr Kirkup (pictured) suffered severe abdominal injuries and injuries to his hand and foot
A spokesperson for Mr Kirkup’s (pictured) professional training service Kirkup Racing took to Facebook to give an update on the trainer’s condition
Ms Johnson’s (pictured left with Mr Kirkup) tragic death comes as a blow to the close-knit Canberra racing community
‘Thank you so much to the racing community for your care and support. We are beyond devastated for the loss of the beautiful and talented Samara,’ the statement reads.
‘Garry is stable at the moment and will be having further surgery tomorrow. He has sustained serious injuries but the prognosis is positive… We thank you for your kind messages. Please hug your loved ones close tonight. We will never be the same again…’
Ms Johnson was a successful rider at amateur picnic race meets in and around Canberra and was described as a ‘wonderful girl with so much talent and love for horses and racing’.
Fellow racing community members have mourned Ms Johnson’s death and wished Mr Kirkup a speedy recovery in hospital.
‘Garry (pictured) is stable at the moment and will be having further surgery tomorrow. He has sustained serious injuries but the prognosis is positive… We thank you for your kind messages. Please hug your loved ones close tonight. We will never be the same again…’ the statement reads
‘Devastated. So sad to hear the news yesterday. Sad to lose someone so young. Samara,’ one well-wisher wrote on Facebook.
‘Our thoughts and support is with you Garry in your recovery. The racing community is here for you and it showed this morning at your stables with everyone helping out. Everyone be careful on the roads.’
‘A big big hole is left in the heart of the racing industry today. My heart is aching, my mind is confused and I can’t stop crying. Thousands are mourning for you tonight,’ friend Desiree Dawn Tagg also wrote.